3. I can help you remain in the property during the process without making payments... (The only way to benefit financially in a short sale.)

4. I will help you negotiate with your second lender for pennies to the dollar.

5. I can help avoid the need to file bankruptcy altogether... in two years time, you can find yourself "normal" again.

6. I can help you take advantage of the government's "Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act and Debt Cancellation" Program.

7. I will negotiate directly with your lender/s. I control all of my short sales.

8. If you are late on payments now, I can get the Bank OFF YOUR BACK!

9. I can help you find another home afterwards. I am a full service REALTOR�. There are 'rent to own' options.

10. I don't want to buy your home as an investor. Saving you from foreclosure is my FOCUS.

Bottom line . . .

I work to present your lender an acceptable offer.

I do all the negotiations on your behalf

I market your home and list it on the MLS.

I can help you save your credit for years to come.

I charge you nothing.

Best of all, you don't have to go through the embarrassment, pain or humiliation of a foreclosure.

Many times you are allowed to stay in your home while we process the short sale thus enabling you to save some money and rebuild your credit life

You may be able to buy a home within 2 years with a short sale vs. 10 years with a foreclosure.

If you are upside down on your mortgage, a short sale is a sensible solution. Please call for a free and no-obligation, confidential consultation.

"I will focus all of my energy and resources with uncompromising honesty and integrity."

Millions of Americans are facing this question:

"Should I just let my home go into foreclosure, or do a short sale with the bank?"

What is the sensible thing to do?

My advice is for you to remove the emotional aspect of this decision first. What you do now can have repercussions for many years down the line. Some people are even talking that 2005 was and will be the highest value in real estate in our lifetimes. That's not good if you are underwater on your mortgage.

"Stick it to the bank!"

Do you really want to do that? In a way, I understand that the banks have gone out of their way to dig this hole we are presently in... destroying trillions of dollars in equity money. Money that was supposed to pay for your retirement or your child's college tuition.

Now. . you are facing hard decisions.

I know you are not happy. The question you should ask yourself, "What will have a bigger long term effect on my credit and lifestyle?"

As far as I can see, you have these following options:

#1 You may continue making
payments, disregard the current
value of your home and do the "right thing."

Pay what you said you will pay. Yes, the banks sucked you into a black hole of negative amortization, adjustable rates and teaser rates... You will more likely suffer a negative cash flow for years to come.

This solution is very hard to swallow. In a way you will be stuck with your property for years to come making the bank very happy. You will be paying your excessive mortgage by holding an imaginary gun to your head ... in the form of, YOUR CREDIT RATING!

In our country, our credit reputation is GOLD. But, are you willing to work for years and pay your hard earned money for an investment that went BAD?

How long can you afford to go with a negative equity on your home? A few years? ... It's your call.

But, just in case you have doubts, you may want to explore OPTION #2

#2 You can negotiate with the lender/s
to modify your loan/s, drastically reducing
your payments, so you at least break even.

In some cases you may even get a principal reduction. At the least, you will get a fixed rate and your ARM will disappear.

If you are sure you want to keep the property and don't mind a negative equity on your investment for the next few years, a loan modification is the least you should do for yourself.

Remember, these loan modifications are now government funded. Yes, that is the bail-out money you have been hearing about.

Simple question . . . Are you sure a loan modification is the best solution for you with no principal reduction?

Remember, there is a 'loan modification' and a 'loan MORTIFICATION'! Be careful when you sign and fully understand the consequences.

One question you may ask yourself. .. . "When will I catch up?" And more importantly, "Will the cost of my mortgage payments ever be recouped?"

If you don't have a potential for profit at the end, then you are not buying a home ... you are just renting from the bank!

And, at a higher rental payment! Oh... plus you get to fix and pay for all the problems in the house. Broken air conditioning unit? Don't call your bank . ..YOU FIX IT YOURSELF!

That's not a pleasant option, is it? So here's your 3rd option:
s

#3 You simply do a short sale.

A Short Sale is far less damaging to your credit. Did you know that because of the process of a short sale, you may expect your credit score to lose around 80 to 100 points (while a 'foreclosure' could deduct 350 points from your credit score!).

What does 'doing a short sale' mean? Essentially you can buy another home in a couple years after repairing your credit and you can go back and purchase literally the house next door.

Yes, next to the home you sold previously as a short sale. You can buy it now at a MAJOR DISCOUNT compared to what you paid for your previous home ... the one next door!

You come back 24 months later to the same neighborhood and your mortgage payment is only HALF of what your neighbors are paying ... and they will still be under water! But, this is not about your neighbors ... it's about you and your family.

*A hidden benefit to you as a seller ... Although you do not need to be in default in order to do a short sale, most lenders will act quicker on a file that is delinquent. It makes perfect sense. Why would a bank give priority to someone who is current on their loan?

Some sellers just don't have a choice, as financial hardship has forced them to put all their money towards essentials such as food and heat.

The money being put toward the mortgage could be going towards building savings to be able to pay future rent and other living expenses instead.

You are doing a short sale because you have a hardship and hardships exist when you don't have money. I cannot legally advise you not to pay your mortgage when doing a short sale. But it is very typical for people in this situation not to make mortgage payments. They simply can't afford to make those payments.

A short sale takes a few months from beginning to the end. Meanwhile you are living on your property with no mortgage payments.

This is the only way you will get any money benefit from your home in a short sale.

Yes, you do not have to be behind on your payments to do a short sale. But, when I approach your bank and tell them you have a hardship, the bank's response is: "But the homeowners are current on their payments. We have thousands of files with people behind on their mortgages.
So, you may have to sit for a while and wait for your turn."

I'm not advocating for you to do a short sale just because you are stuck in a mortgage that will take years to break even much less see a profit.

All I'm saying is that these banks created a major trap for the public because of their greed. Now our government is giving them billions and billons of dollars to help them correct their ways and save their rear-ends.

So, a short sale is a piece of the BAIL OUT MONEY for you!

If you have a qualified hardship then a short sale may be the best option for you.

Ok, maybe you decide that a short sale is not an option at this time .. .or you may already tried doing a short sale with an inexperienced real estate agent or a shark investor and now your deal OFF.

This is the next option if all fails ...

#4 A Deed In Lieu Of Foreclosure

Deed in lieu of foreclosure sounds too legal but could be an important step for you. It simply a negotiated transaction in which the borrower (it is advisable to use a real estate attorney for this) proposes a settlement to his or her mortgage lender that will enable both the borrower and lender to avoid foreclosure.

However, your lender may still file a deficiency judgment for them to recoup their losses ... and that is only for the first mortgage.

The junior lien or second mortgage is not obligated to any agreement between you and the first mortgage. But a good attorney can negotiate and convince the 'second' to take 'something' in the theory that 'something is better than nothing'
--- Because the 'second' gets nothing if you foreclose.

My understanding is that a deed in lieu of a foreclosure benefits the bank more than the home owner. In a short sale, you have the HIDDEN benefit of remaining on your property for a few months with no mortgage payments saving you thousands of dollars.

In a deed in lieu of a foreclosure, you are getting out next month PAYING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS to your attorney.

In a short sale, you are eligible to get complete removal of a deficiency judgment and it costs you nothing to do it.

In a deed in lieu of a foreclosure, it will cost upfront money for the attorney and no guarantees.

Do you want to save money and just do it on your own?

I would be careful what the banks' attorney will draw up for you to sign. Remember, that attorney is paid by the bank so he/she is looking out for the bank's best interests ... not yours.

In the end, you need to make a decision based on your actual needs. I am not an attorney. I am not a tax professional. I would certainly recommend you contact someone with legal/ tax background before you make a final decision regarding foreclosure.

Which bring us to the next option . . .

#5 Foreclosure

You can just let the lender foreclose if all the above fails. It will definitely ruin your credit. You will have baggage to carry for the next 10 years. No one will give you the best rates for financing and the worst of it is: you will have a Deficiency Judgment on your head!

This means that the bank has the right to go after you and recover any assets you may have now or in the future to recoup the money that they lost selling your home as an REO (real estate owned) property.

That's not good. Add to this, the tremendous strain on your family and your health. You should try to avoid a foreclosure by any means necessary.

But just one thing to make you feel better if you are heading towards a foreclosure, because "misery loves company." Our country will more likely have over 8,000,000 foreclosed homes before all of this sub-prime mess is done. That is 8 million families who will be directly damaged by a foreclosure. Taking in consideration that an average family has at least 3 people...

The worst case scenario ... you may have to declare bankruptcy to clear the deficiency judgment off your head. Then you will end up with a foreclosure and a bankruptcy on your record. The 'double whammy.' Very bad.

There is a solution to avoiding foreclosure. I can help you avoid foreclosure at no charge to you.

No one can guarantee you success in a short sale. But at least you are taking a positive step forward and helping to relieve some of the tremendous pressure for you and your family.

Legal Disclaimer:

I can not legally advice you about any of these options in this publication on my website. I strongly advise you to seek professional help from your accountant and your attorney. The decisions you make are life changing and should not be taken lightly.

I talk to people in 'mortgage underwater' situations almost daily. Yes, attorneys, doctors, engineers ... and even other REALTORS� are facing serious financial distress.

Just about every day I see people looking at their savings disappear while putting themselves in more harm by borrowing from friends and family ... and dig themselves into another hole

So now it's your turn to make a decision ...

Does it make any sense for you to continue this way?
From a business perspective, what are your possible losses and what are the possible benefits?

So now take the "bull by the horns" and do something!
This is not going to get better by simply ignoring it. So call me for a free, no-obligation and confidential consultation.

Remember, selling your home as a short sale is just that ... selling your home ... and NOT LOSING IT TO A FORECLOSURE!

No one will work harder or more professionally than I will to earn your smile and handshake for a job well done.

MARS DISCLAIMER: The above brokerage and agent/s assumes no responsibility nor guarantees the accuracy of this information and is not engaged in the practice of law nor gives legal advice. It is strongly recommended that you seek appropriate professional counsel regarding your rights as a homeowner. The above brokerage and agent/s is not associated with the government, and our service is not approved by the government or your lender. Even if you accept this offer and use our service, your lender may not agree to change your loan.